Nutrition Worker

Description

       General Character of Duties:

            Under the supervision of the team leader with off-site support, the nutrition worker will provide a well-planned nutrition program for children and carry out supplemental activities related to nutrition education activities in the classroom. Nutrition workers frequently serve as substitutes for short periods of each day and must interact with the center team leader and children.

2.         Example of Specific Duties:

Requests and selects some food items from vendors, receives and stores food supplies for larger centers. Prepares breakfast, snack, and lunch every day for the center; maintains safety, sanitation, and cleanliness; assists with nutrition education for children and parents. Maintains records and submits required reports. Attends meetings when needed and completes required training. Assists with arrangements for parent meetings, and assists parents and community participants in their volunteer assignments as required. Serves as a classroom assistant to allow breaks. Answers phone during class time in absence of FPA and takes careful messages making follow-up calls to parents and others.

3.         Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED is required, and willingness to pursue training programs in nutrition. Nutrition workers frequently serve as substitute teachers, and experience working with children and interest in pursuing knowledge in early childhood is important. All nutrition workers must assist in emergency evacuations and must provide appropriate adult supervision in emergencies and when replacing education staff as substitutes.

4.         Desired Qualifications:

The applicant should have experience in quantity food amount preparation, preferably with a child care or restaurant background. Knowledge about child nutritional needs and growth and development is important, along with the ability to communicate with children and adults. Documentation, including simple arithmetic calculations, is required.

5.         Other Significant Facts:

All staff with responsibility for purchasing must have adequate personal transportation available, including auto liability insurance and proof of satisfactory driving record. Long work days may be required for training days and ongoing training is required. This position is generally scheduled for less than 200 paid days per year, with an average work day of approximately 6.67 hours per day, determined by center size. EHS staff work a year-round schedule. Most nutrition worker positions do not quality for our employer contributions to health insurance plan, but receive other fringe benefits such as paid holidays and sick and annual leave, and state retirement system benefits are available. State approved or provided criminal background checks and agency-provided physicals are required. Tobacco free workplace with no tobacco use on break periods in Early Head Start centers; uniforms are required for EHS staff who use or are exposed to tobacco in their homes / vehicles.

7.         Physical Requirements:

Must have a physical examination, including a drug test prior to employment and evidence of a negative tuberculosis screening. All staff may be required to pick up children weighing over 50 pounds in emergency situations. Lifting of supplies and cleaning materials, weighing 25 pounds or more, and cleaning activities such as mopping and vacuuming are regularly required. Other physical demands of this position include stooping, sitting in child-size furniture, ability to hear conversations, vision adequate to supervise young children. No items considered and essential function is designed to exclude a person with a disability.

Qualifications